A conventional facsimile apparatus had not been provided with the network interface for connecting to the LAN, since the apparatus has been mainly for communication utilizing a public line. However, as a standard for an Internet facsimile has been maintained, a facsimile apparatus provided with the network interface has appeared. Since such a facsimile apparatus has been provided with the network interface, it is expected to view, at a remote location, sending and receiving history information on the facsimile apparatus, registration of device information or the like, from a terminal device such as a PC via a network. In such case, it would be common that an independent HTTP server machine is installed on the LAN, and the device information and control information are communicated between the server machine and the facsimile apparatus, using a unique protocol on the network, so that a user accesses the HTTP server machine from a browser software on the PC to control remotely the facsimile apparatus.
On the other hand, more composite apparatuses integrally configured with a copying function, a facsimile function and a printer function have been used, which are connected to the LAN so that the information and condition of the apparatuses are controlled from other terminals or the like connected to the LAN. The device information as used herein includes, for example, a name of the apparatus, where the apparatus is installed, information on a device administrator, an operation history of facsimile communication or printing or the like. The condition as used herein includes the condition of the apparatus such as whether the apparatus is performing the facsimile communication or the printing, or in a no-paper condition or the like.
Conventionally, upon configuring such a network-type composite apparatus which is connected to the LAN and can be managed its starting of a job, the information and the condition of the apparatus via the LAN, though each of a copying apparatus, a copying and facsimile apparatus, and a printer exists as an independent product, the network-type composite apparatus has been realized by newly developing each of a scanner control, a modem control, a printer control and a PDL process or the like and making a process unit for each of them to be network-support type.
In addition, when the network-type composite apparatus is configured using the existing copying and facsimile apparatus and the existing printer, a portion of the copying and facsimile apparatus has performed a main control of the device and handling of all packets received from the network.
However, in the above described conventional example, since there are too many portions to be newly developed, there have been drawbacks not only that a development period becomes long, but also that a development cost increases. For example, a PDL process unit may be configured changeable in accordance with a type of a printer language, and if the PDL process unit is changed, it is necessary to develop the portion of the copying and facsimile apparatus to be able to perform a print operation with the changed PDL process unit.
Furthermore, even when the network-type composite apparatus is configured using the existing copying and facsimile apparatus and the existing printer, since the portion of the copying and facsimile apparatus performing the main control controls all the packets received from the network, when the portion of the copying and facsimile apparatus handles mass data such as print data or the like, there have been drawbacks not only that a system load becomes heavier, but also that a print speed decreases.
In addition, in the case of the facsimile apparatus provided with the network interface, in order to operate the facsimile apparatus remotely from the terminal device, there has been a need for a device which is adapted to communicate the device information with the facsimile apparatus and operates as the HTTP server, in addition to the terminal device of the user and the facsimile apparatus. In addition, though it is possible to eliminate a need of the HTTP server machine by implementing an HTTP server function within the facsimile apparatus, if the network interface is not used, there has been a problem that the portion of the HTTP server function implemented within the facsimile apparatus becomes useless, and a cost for the facsimile apparatus increases. Furthermore, since technique and the functions regarding the HTTP are improving, if the HTTP server function is implemented within the device, there would be a problem that it is necessary to exchange the entire device in order to replace the HTTP server function with a higher one, and the cost is required accordingly.